It starts with the lock. Sometimes you can even see a gap at the top of the lock rail. And if you try to open the door, it only opens if you pull it towards you. We do frame repair in Tampa for sliding doors. Generally, that kind of work is to repair the wheels, but sometimes the whole frame has gone out of square for the opening.
The frame is the aluminum box that the panels reside in. Once that frame begins to move, all the other components of the door start to fight with each other.
What Pulls a Frame Out of Square
Caused by water. The water that sits in the bottom of the door frame’s channel penetrates the sill and begins to rot the wood or seep into the stucco behind it. After several seasons, the weight of the water causes the frame to pull to one side. In the older homes of Hyde Park and Palma Ceia, this type of door shifting occurs because the original doors were never sealed against this amount of rain.
Also, wind pressure is at work here. A high-floor condo unit near Westshore or the Channel District has to deal with constant forces against the glass. Over time, this can cause the corners to slowly loosen up. In the meantime, slab movement and settling continue to affect the building.
Signs You Need Frame Work and Not Just Rollers
These new rollers don’t work either. An uneven gap at the top and bottom of the door when closed allows outside air to pour in along the edge. A soft spot in the door or an unsightly stain on the sill. The screen does not fit the opening anymore.
Even if you have two of these items, the rollers alone will not fix your problem. The Sliding door frame repair service will re-square your opening to allow your panel and lock to line up as they did when new.
How We Repair a Frame
We first inspect for any decay to the sill and any movement at the corners. Corner bracing and any necessary repair or replacement of the sill, as well as the weatherstrip, are typically included in the work. We then resquare the opening to allow the panel to seat properly and reset the track and rollers on the newly squared frame.
We will let you know when further repair is not cost-effective. If there is significant rot in the wall framing behind the door, then framing repairs behind the door will be throwing money at the problem. It is more cost-effective to install a new door unit, and we will give you a price for this.
Either way you get a straight answer on the first visit. No pressure, no surprise add-ons once the work has started.
Questions Tampa Homeowners Ask Us
Can a bent aluminum door frame really be repaired?
Yes, in most cases. Corner bracing and opening squaring can typically be done. That would depend on whether the metal is cracked and how much of the sill remains.
How do I know if my sill is rotted?
Press on the insulation with the handle of a screwdriver. If it yields, feels spongy, or shows a dark stain, water must have been seeping into the hole. We check it every time we visit a house.
Will frame repair stop the draft and water coming in?
Squaring the frame to the adjacent panels, plus new weather stripping, will again close the panel. The enhanced cooling of your home in a hot summer in Tampa is an added feature.
Do you work on condo frames in the Channel District?
Yes. We work in downtown and Westshore buildings and coordinate access with management when the building requires notice.
Get Your Door Squared Up
Contact Excellent Sliding Door for sliding door frame repair in Tampa, FL, or Book Online to send a photo of the gap and the sill, and we will let you know what you have.
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